Prevalence of lungworm in cats in South Australia

Study honours in animal science and investigate prevalence of the cat lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in domestic and feral cats in South Australia.

The feline lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus is a metastonglid parasite of the cat’s respiratory tract. It can cause acute or chronic respiratory disease and is transmitted to cats via a mollusc intermediate host.

Recent anecdotal reports suggest the parasite may be common in cats in South Australia, however no work has ever been conducted in this area.

Key methodology:

Faecal samples will be collected from both domestic and feral/stray cats and the Baermann technique will be used to diagnose the infection in cats. The prevalence between feral and domestic cats will be compared as well as the spatial distribution of the parasite.